Individual differences in auditory brainstem response wave characteristics : relations to different aspects of peripheral hearing loss

Little is known about how outer hair cell loss interacts with noise-induced and age-related auditory nerve degradation (i.e., cochlear synaptopathy) to affect auditory brainstem response (ABR) wave characteristics. Given that listeners with impaired audiograms likely suffer from mixtures of these hearing deficits and that ABR amplitudes have successfully been used to isolate synaptopathy in listeners with normal audiograms, an improved understanding of how different hearing pathologies affect the ABR source generators will improve their sensitivity in hearing diagnostics. We employed a functional model for human ABRs in which different combinations of hearing deficits were simulated and show that highfrequency cochlear gain loss steepens the slope of the ABRWave-V latency versus intensity and amplitude versus intensity curves. We propose that grouping listeners according to a ratio of these slope metrics (i.e., the ABR growth ratio) might offer a way to factor out the outer hair cell loss deficit and maximally relate individual differences for constant ratios to other peripheral hearing deficits such as cochlear synaptopathy. We compared the model predictions to recorded click-ABRs from 30 participants with normal or high-frequency sloping audiograms and confirm the predicted relationship between the ABR latency growth curve and audiogram slope. Experimental ABR amplitude growth showed large individual differences and was compared with the Wave-I amplitude, Wave-V/I ratio, or the interwaveI-W latency in the same listeners. The model simulations along with the ABR recordings suggest that a hearing loss profile depicting the ABR growth ratio versus the Wave-I amplitude or Wave-V/I ratio might be able to differentiate outer hair cell deficits from cochlear synaptopathy in listeners with mixed pathologies

Assessing perfectionism as a predictor of exercise dependency over time.

Exercise is generally thought to be beneficial for physical and mental health; however, when done in excess, exercise can lead to damaging physical, psychological, and social health consequences. This type of exercise is known as exercise dependency and is frequently associated with eating disorder pathology. Perfectionism (high standards and evaluative concerns) is a risk factor for eating disorders and is also associated with exercise dependency. However, no studies have examined longitudinal relationships between perfectionism and exercise dependency. The current study used a sample of adolescent females (N = 444) from a Southeastern United States high school, and participants completed measures of eating disorder symptomology, perfectionism, and exercise dependency at baseline and one-month time points, Multiple regression analysis was conducted. Cross-sectionally, both high standards, and evaluative concerns perfectionism were associated with exercise dependency. In the longitudinal model, only high standards perfectionism was a predictor of exercise dependency symptoms. The results suggest that while high standards perfectionism is widely considered adaptive, it may be a contributing factor to later development of exercise dependency. By understanding the factors contributing to exercise dependency, health and fitness professionals can screen for perfectionism in sports to identify athletes at risk for later development of exercise dependency. This relationship suggests high standards perfectionism could serve as a potential target in preventing the development of exercise dependency

Rodents gone wild in the southeastern section of Missouri in the Peck Ranch Conservation Area

Abstract only availableManagement plans such as clear-cutting could affect the abundance of the species of rodents. The management of the forest can be responsible for the increasing or decreasing of rodent populations. I studied the rodents in the forest of the Peck Ranch Conservation Area to see if clear-cutting affected the populations. My study measured the abundance of rodents by observing their tracks in both clear-cut sites and no harvest sites. Rodents are important because they are another part of the ecosystem and can be hazardous if their population increases largely. They also though spread the plant seeds throughout the forest and keep some insects in check. I used metal rectangles about 1foot by 10inches, with clear plastic copy paper attached. I used an ink substance on the copy paper to imprint the tracks. To get the rodents to come, I used black sunflower seeds as bait. I put 10 in each the clear-cut and the no harvest site for 24hrs before recording the tracks observed.Missouri Ozark Forest Ecosystem Projec

Visuelles Social-Media-Marketing am Beispiel von Instagram, Pinterest und Snapchat - Neue Chancen für Bibliotheken zur Öffentlichkeitsarbeit

Immer mehr Bibliotheken setzen soziale Medien in ihrer Öffentlichkeitsarbeit ein. Die vorliegende Arbeit bietet einen allgemeinen Überblick über Social Media, Social-Media-Marketing und visuelles Social-Media-Marketing und zeigt, wie sich diese Konzepte auf Bibliotheken übertragen lassen. Weiterhin werden die Netzwerke Instagram, Pinterest und Snapchat vorgestellt und Beispiele gezeigt, wie sich diese in Bibliotheken einsetzen lassen. Dazu wurden englische und deutsche Fachliteratur, Weblogs und Internetseiten ausgewertet und Beispielbeiträge von Bibliotheken aus den drei Bilderdiensten gesammelt.More and more libraries use social media in their public relations. This thesis provides a general overview of social media, social media marketing, visual social media marketing and shows how these concepts can be transferred to libraries. Furthermore, the networks Instagram, Pinterest and Snapchat are presented and examples are shown, how they can be used in libraries. For that, English and Ge-rman specialist literature, weblogs and websites were analyzed and example posts of libraries from the three picture services were gathered

Multilayer etching for kerf-free solar cells from macroporous silicon

Kerf-free techniques for subdividing a single thick crystalline Si wafer into a multitude of thin Si layers have a large potential for cost reductions. In this paper, we explore pore formation in Si for separating many 18 μm-thick surface-textured layers from a thick wafer with a single etching process. We demonstrate the fabrication and separation of four macroporous Si layers in a single etching step. Generating many instead of single macroporous layers per etching step improves the economics of the macroporous Si process. We present our etching process that maintains the pore pattern defined by photolithography even after etching many absorber and separation layers.Federal Ministry for Environment, Nature Conservation, and Nuclear Safety/FKZ 032514

ELMO1 has an essential role in the internalization of Salmonella Typhimurium into enteric macrophages that impacts disease outcome.

Backgrounds and aims4-6 million people die of enteric infections each year. After invading intestinal epithelial cells, enteric bacteria encounter phagocytes. However, little is known about how phagocytes internalize the bacteria to generate host responses. Previously, we have shown that BAI1 (Brain Angiogenesis Inhibitor 1) binds and internalizes Gram-negative bacteria through an ELMO1 (Engulfment and cell Motility protein 1)/Rac1-dependent mechanism. Here we delineate the role of ELMO1 in host inflammatory responses following enteric infection.MethodsELMO1-depleted murine macrophage cell lines, intestinal macrophages and ELMO1 deficient mice (total or myeloid-cell specific) was infected with Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium. The bacterial load, inflammatory cytokines and histopathology was evaluated in the ileum, cecum and spleen. The ELMO1 dependent host cytokines were detected by a cytokine array. ELMO1 mediated Rac1 activity was measured by pulldown assay.ResultsThe cytokine array showed reduced release of pro-inflammatory cytokines, including TNF-α and MCP-1, by ELMO1-depleted macrophages. Inhibition of ELMO1 expression in macrophages decreased Rac1 activation (~6 fold) and reduced internalization of Salmonella. ELMO1-dependent internalization was indispensable for TNF-α and MCP-1. Simultaneous inhibition of ELMO1 and Rac function virtually abrogated TNF-α responses to infection. Further, activation of NF-κB, ERK1/2 and p38 MAP kinases were impaired in ELMO1-depleted cells. Strikingly, bacterial internalization by intestinal macrophages was completely dependent on ELMO1. Salmonella infection of ELMO1-deficient mice resulted in a 90% reduction in bacterial burden and attenuated inflammatory responses in the ileum, spleen and cecum.ConclusionThese findings suggest a novel role for ELMO1 in facilitating intracellular bacterial sensing and the induction of inflammatory responses following infection with Salmonella